Pomegranate tree

ABSTRACT

A pomegranate tree generally similar to the Wonderful pomegranate tree (unpatented), but distinguished therefrom by bearing fruit which is more highly colored and ripens from seven to ten days earlier and further characterized by bearing fruit which is of a higher acid content when ripe than the fruit of the Granada pomegranate tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,618) or the Early Red (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,723), varieties which the subject variety most nearly resembles in appearance. 2

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety ofpomegranate tree generally similar to the "Wonderful" varietypomegranate tree (unpatented) of which it is a sport, but which bearsfruit which ripens seven to ten days earlier and has a more highlycolored rind and arils than the Wonderful, much in the manner of theGranada (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,618), which ripens approximately threeweeks earlier than the subject variety and the Early Red (U.S. PlantPat. No. 2,723) which ripens approximately two weeks earlier than thesubject variety and from each of which the subject variety isdistinguished by a much higher acid content and pungent flavor atmaturity.

It is well known that the sales appeal of pomegranates is greatlyinfluenced by size and exterior color of the fruit. When a pomegranateis eaten, the color of the edible arils, or seed coating of the variety,is an element in consumer satisfaction as is, of course, the acidcontent and flavor of the arils. As with other fruits, it iscommercially desirable that a pomegranate tree bear fruit which ripensat a time when other fruits of that type are not available.

In pomegranates, the flavor is directly related to the acid content whenfully ripe. However, it should be noted that the marketing regulationsin effect in the State of California require that pomegranates not bemarketed until the acid content of the arils established by titration is1.85 percent or less.

The well-known Wonderful pomegranate tree (unpatented) produces fruitwhich is of relatively large size and has an acid content close to themaximum permitted under the California regulations when ripe. However,the exterior of the rind of pomegranates borne by this variety isfrequently of a Pink (1 A 9) color rather than a Red (4 L 1) or "OldRed" (5 K 6) color desired in pomegranates for decorative purposes. Whena fruit of this variety is opened, a susbstantial number of the arilsare usually found to be colorless rather than to be of the strong red ormoderate red desired red color.

The color deficiencies of the Wonderful variety of pomegranate tree havebeen overcome in other pomegranate tree varieties derived from theWonderful variety, such as the Early Red variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No.2,723) and the Granada variety of pomegranate (U.S. Plant Pat. No.2,618). These varieties also have the desirable characteristic ofbearing fruit which ripens earlier than that of the Wonderful variety,the Early Red being three weeks earlier and the Granada four weeksearlier. At maturity, the acid content of the Granada variety is from1.4 to 1.6 percent and that of the Early Red variety is from 0.7 to 1.4percent. At maturity, both the Wonderful and the instant variety closelyapproach 1.85 percent.

It has been long recognized as desirable to provide a pomegranate whichwould bear fruit having a more highly colored rind and arils than thatof the Wonderful variety, but which is of large size, superior flavor,and highly colored. It is especially desirable for the fruit of thesubject pomegranate tree to ripen in the interval between the ripeningof the above-identified early ripening varieties and the Wonderfulvariety so that a higher price can be obtained due to the lack ofcompetition in the marketplace.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The new variety of pomegranate was discovered by me on Sept. 1, 1976, asa single mature tree growing in an orchard of Wonderful pomegranatetrees (unpatented). The orchard is owned by me and is located on Avenue208 on the west side of Highway 65 near the city of Lindsay, in theCounty of Tulare, in the state of California. The orchard was planted bymy grandfather in 1921 or 1922 and the sport was not recognized as suchuntil discovered in 1976 as a tree in the designated orchard.

The new variety of pomegranate tree was asexually reproduced under mysupervision by rooting hardwood cuttings from said tree, and the fruitand tree characteristics resulting from the cuttings proved identical tothose of the original tree.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW VARIETY

The instant variety of pomegranate tree is characterized by having thegeneral tree characteristics of the Wonderful variety of which it is asport, but has the important distinctions of bearing fruit which is morehighly colored in rind and arils and which ripens from seven to ten daysearlier. The rind of a pomegranate borne by the new variety has anexterior background color ranging from "Candy Pink" (2 H 10) to "Afghan"(5 L 6) with the lighter portion of the background having spots of"Afghan" and the arils attain a color from "Cherry Blossom" (4 J 4) to"Oxheart" (6 L 5). The instant variety bears fruit whose arils are moreacid than the earlier varieties to which reference has been made. Thus,the flavor is more pungent. Under similar growing conditions, thepomegranates borne by the new variety are slightly smaller than thoseborne by the Wonderful variety.

The subject variety of pomegranate tree is distinguished from the EarlyWonderful pomegranate tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,520) by the followingcharacteristics:

1. The axillary angle, the angle between the stems and branches oftwigs.

In the subject variety, this angle averages 59.2° while this angleaverages 55.7° in the Early Wonderful variety. These angles wereobtained by averaging twenty-five specimens of each variety, thestandard deviation in the case of the subject variety being 6.5° and inthe Early Wonderful variety being 8.5°, thereby distinguishing these twovarieties as determined by well-known statistical methods.

2. The order of bud break, the breaking of dormancy in late winter orearly spring of the two varieties.

The subject variety breaks four to five days before the well-knownWonderful variety (unpatented) whereas the Early Wonderful varietybreaks from four to five days after the Wonderful variety and,therefore, eight to ten days after the subject variety.

3. The earlier leaf development of the subject variety.

On Mar. 5, 1980 trees of the subject variety were budded out and hadleaflets measuring a centimeter or so in length while buds of the EarlyWonderful variety, grown under as nearly identical environmentalconditions as possible, were dormant, showed no swelling, and no leaveshad appeared.

4. The later blooming period and somewhat later ripening of fruit of thesubject variety.

The subject variety blooms from mid-April to July 1 while the EarlyWonderful variety blooms from March 22, with full bloom being reached byMarch 30. Fruit of the Early Wonderful variety ripens several daysearlier than that of the subject variety. It should be noted that theorder of bloom and fruit ripening of the two varieties is reversed fromthe order of bud break and leaf development therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawing is a color photograph of three typical wholefruits of the subject variety viewed at different angles, and a fruithalved to disclose the arils and partitions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more specifically to the pomological details of this new anddistinct variety of pomegranate tree, the following has been observedunder the ecological conditions prevailing at the designated orchard inTulare County, Calif. All of the color code identifications are byreference to the Maerz and Paul Dictionary of Color, Second Edition,Published in 1950 by McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. except where commondescriptive terms are employed.

TREE

Size: Normal for pomegranate 15 to 18 feet (4.5 m. to 5.5 m.).

Figure: Globular/bush.

Productivity: Good. Three to four No. 60 field boxes per tree atmaturity.

Bearing: Not alternate, varies with cultural and weather conditions.

Trunks: Multiple, with scaly surface, usually grows to 8 in. (20 cm)diameter and 4 feet (120 cm) to heading out.

Branches:

Size.--To 1 in. (25 mm) diameter for fruiting wood, larger to scaffolds.

Surface.--Smooth.

Color.--Light green with tan ribs.

Lenticels.--Numerous, up to 25 per in. (1 per mm); small; circular whenyoung, growing to over 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) in length.

Twigs: Color "Brown Sugar" (15 H 11).

Leaves:

Size.--Slightly smaller than "Wonderful" variety (unpatented).

Length.--2 in. (50 mm).

Width.--1/2 in. (12 mm).

Shape.--Long oval.

Color.--Upper surface, "Chrome Green, Deep" (24 H 12); lower surface"Parrot Green" (21 L 6).

Marginal form.--Smooth.

Glandular characteristics.--None on leaf or stem.

Petiole.--Length, short--less than 1/8 in. (3 mm); thickness, 1/16 in.(1.6 mm).

Stipules.--Variable, commonly with two.

Flower buds:

Size.--Similar to Wonderful, 11/2 in. (38 mm) before opening.

Shape.--Slightly elongated.

Surface.--Smooth, waxy, red.

Flowers:

Dates of bloom.--Mid April to July 1.

Size.--To 21/2 (63 mm) diameter.

Color.--Red with very slight orange cast.

Pistil.--Single.

Stamens.--40 or more.

Resistance to disease and insects: Similar to Wonderful variety. Lesssusceptible to attack by the omniferous leaf roller than many varieties.In this respect almost as resistant as the Wonderful variety.

FRUIT

Maturity: Sept. 12 in 1979, 7 to 10 days before Wonderful variety.

Size:

Uniformity.--Varies directly with time of bloom, earliest bloom giveslargest fruit.

Diameter.--31/2 in. (90 mm).

Axial length.--31/4 in. (83 mm).

Form: Typical pomegranate form with prominent crown of calyx segments atapex; symmetrical base slightly flattened near stem attachment.

Stem: Very short, less than 1/4 in. (6 mm); caliper to 1/4 in. (6 mm).

Rind:

Texture.--Hard surface, slightly corky and tough.

Tendency to crack.--Similar to Wonderful variety; crack after winterrains commence.

Exterior color.--Background ranging from "Candy Pink" (2 H 10) to"Afghan" (5 L 6) with the lighter portions of the background havingspots of "Afghan".

Partition color.--"Maise" (10 G 5).

Aril:

Color.--"Oxheart" (6 L 5) through "Cherry Blossom" (4 J 4) to clear.

Juice.--Typical pomegranate flavor, sweet by September 1.

Aroma. --Slight, typical pomegranate (grenadine).

Acidity.--1.85 percent when ripe.

Eating quality.--Good flavor and juice content, pleasant acidity withsugar and distinctive grenadine flavor.

Use: Fresh fruit market and juice extraction.

Although the new variety of pomegranate tree possesses the describedcharacteristics as a result of the growing conditions prevailing inTulare County, Calif., in the San Joaquin Valley, it is to be understoodthat variations of the usual magnitude in characteristics incident togrowing conditions are to be expected.

Having thus described and illustrated my new variety of pomegranatetree, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patentis:
 1. A new and distinct variety of pomegranate tree, substantially asillustrated and described, characterized particularly as to novelty byits bearing of fruit which has a deeper red color of its rind and arilsand which ripens from seven to ten days earlier than fruit of the"Wonderful" (unpatented) variety of pomegranate tree, which matures fourto seven days later than the fruit of the Early Wonderful pomegranatetree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,520) from which it is further distinguishedby blooming from mid April to July 1st as contrasted with a bloomingperiod commencing March 22 and reaching full bloom by March 30 for theEarly Wonderful and by smaller leaves than the Early Wonderful and whichnew variety has a substantially higher acid content than fruit of theGranada variety of pomegranate tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,618) or theEarly Red variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,723) which varieties the fruitof the subject variety most nearly resembles in appearance.